Thill-coupling



No; 624,5ol. Patented may 9,1399.

K. KNuDsoN & H. Glu-1s.

THILL CUUPLING.

(Application led Nov. 19, 1898.)

No Model.)

ll-l- WVITNESSES m4* a, INV NTORS amaba/cw www "Miren STATES (Priiuiiwr 'OFFICEV KITTLE KNUDSON AND HENRY GILES, OF WINNECONNE, VISCONSIN.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,501, dated May 9, 1899.

Application tiled November 19,1898- Serial No. 696,878. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, KITTLE KNUDSON and HENRY GILEs, citizens of the United States, residing at Vin-neconne,in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill- Couplings, of which the following is a specication.

Our inventionrelates to thill-couplings; and the main objects thereof are to provide ready and safe means of locking and unlocking the coupling-bolt and to provide an improved antirattler beneath and practically concealed by the thill.

The invention consists, essentially, of, first,

' a spring-actuated attaching and detaining pin for the coupling-bolt; second, a U -shaped antirattler-spring extending horizontally beheath the coupling-bolt and thill-iron, and, third, a horizontal spring-supporting iioor between the ears of the clip and below the coupling-bolt.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of our improved coupling with the spring removed, showing the recess for the reception of the spring. Fig. 2 is a side View of the coupling with the thill attached and applied to an axle. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the coupling.-

Fig. et is a vertical transverse section thereof on a line through the coupling-bolt. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the spring in perspective. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through a slightlymodified form ofv coupling, the Spring and coupling-bolt in this instance being secured to the clip-securing plate; and Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the same on the line of the coupling-bolt.`

A in the drawings represents the clip, which is provided with ears CL t to receive the thilliron B. The clip A is attached to the vehicleaXle A in the ordinary lnanner.

C is a coupling-bolt which passes horizontally through eyes in the ears a a and through an eye in the end of thethill-iron B, the same as ordinary coupling-bolts heretofore known and used. In our construction the bolt C is provided with a head-O and near its opposite end with a groove or aperture. In Fig. 3 a groove c is shown and in Fig. 7 an aperture d'. The groove extends around 4the bolt and hasan approximately vertical shoulder c', against which the locking-pin D impinges when it is seated in the groove c. By this construction it will be impossible to withdraw the bolt without irst raising the locking-pin. The pin D passes through an opening in one of the ears and is normally helddownwardly by the spring E, attached thereto, thus forming a locking-pin, ,which in its operation re-l tains the bolt C in a secure position in lieu of a nut which has heretofore been used.

The outer end of the springF. is curved upwardly, so as to form a means of ready engagement by the thumb to raise the springE and lift the locking-pin Dont of the recess c. The bolt can then be readily withdrawn to release the thill. We have shown the pin 4ope-rated by a flat spring; but we do not wish .form of spring, as it is obvious that a coilspring, as I, (shown in Fig. 7,) surrounding the pin and located Within an opening in the ear through which the pin passes, might be employed; neither do we wish to confine our invention to the specific form of groove c in the coupling-bolt, as other forms of depressions to receive the coupling-pin will afford the same result.

F represents a horizontal floor between the ears ct a. of the clip, which is provided with a depression F', in which the spring G rests. The spring G is U-shaped and extends horizontally beneath the thill-iron, being practically concealed thereby. The inner end G of the lower branch of the spring is curved upwardly and extends through an opening G2 in the front wall of the clip, and laterally- 1 extending projections-g g are provided upon each side of the spring, which fit into corre.- spondn g depressions g g in the floor of the coupling, so that when the thill is in position the spring will bear upon the under side thereof and cannot be removed, and when the thill is removed for any purpose the spring will still be retained in proper position. We regard the horizontal arrangement of the spring and the construction of -said spring and the horizontally-arrangedHoor to receive and support the spring as important features of our invention. The thill-iron B after being inserted into the clip can be readily pressed downwardly, thereby compressing the spring G, and the bolt can then be pushed in IOO until it becomes locked automatically by the spring-actuated locking-pin. The iioor F also serves to strengthen the clip. 'l

We are aware that U-shaped antirattlers have heretofore been known and used; but they have been located so as to press the thill forward instead of upward and have not been supported by a iioor or otherwise to retain them in position when the thill was removed. Those heretofore used have also 'been in full view, would fill with mud, and

could not be readily cleaned.

Our invention provides an antirattler concealed from view and a coupling that will not rattle or become clogged with mud. A horizontal clip attaching plate K, as shown in Fig. 2, will'be employed to secure the clip to the axle, the ends of the clip being screw-threaded and nuts applied thereon, as usual.

In Figs. 6 and 7 we have shown a slightlymodiiied form of our invention. In this construction the perforated ears, the horizontal supporting-floor, and the spring are applied to the clip-attaching plate I-Iinstead of being applied directly to the clip proper. The operation and functions will be precisely the same. Also in Figs. G and '7 instead of employing a fiat spring for actuating the locking-bolt a coil-spring is used, as heretofore described. Also the locking-bolt D is provided with anv aperture d', as heretofore described, instead of with a peripheral groove. The clip-attaching plate is provided with apertures cl2 cl2 to receive the ends a a of an ordinary clip, which ends are screw-threaded and on which nuts are applied, as usual. The spring G3 is practically the same in construction and operation as the spring G in Fig. 5, l he only difference being that the lower branch of the spring G3 is bent downward, as at g2, and then extends backward, so as to bear upon the under side of the clip-plate.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent, is

1. In a thill-coupling, the combination of a clip,` perforated ears, a horizontal supportingiioor connecting the ears, a horizontally-arranged U-shaped spring located between the ears and supported by the floor, and which extends longitudinally beneath the thill-iron when the latter is in position within the ears,

a horizontally arranged bolt which passes through the ears, and a clip-attaching plate, substantially as described. p

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination of a clip, perforated ears, a horizontally-supporting floor connecting the ears, a groove in said floor having lateral extensions and provided with an aperture for the insertion of the rear end of a spring, a horizontally-arranged U- shaped spring located between the ears and supported by the floor and formed -with lateral projections and having the inner end of its lower end branch curved, said spring eX- tending longitudinally beneath the thill-iron when the latter is in position between the ears and a horizontally-arran ged bolt which passes through the ears, and a clip-attaching plate,

substantially as described.

3. In a Jchill-coupling, the combination of a clip, perforated ears, a horizontally-supporting floor connecting the ears, a horizontallyarranged U-shaped spring located between the ears and supported by the floor and which extends longitudinally beneath the thill-iron when the latter is in position between the ears, a horizontally arranged bolt which passes through the ears and provided with a depression, a vertically-arranged spring-actuated pin which engages the depression when in its lower position, and a clip-attaching plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. i

KITTLE .KNUDSON f HENRY GILES; \Vitnesses:

J. H. STRAUS,

CHAs. J. SCHMITT. 

